The scientific literature is replete with studies confirming the role of proper diet and nutrition in overall health and in preventing a variety of diseases. For example, a diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been long believed to help protect against a myriad of chronic diseases, such as cardiovascular disease and certain cancers.
Despite the importance of proper diet and nutrition, it remains a persistent and daily challenge for most people to prepare meals that meet all of the body's nutritional requirements. This is especially true for those who have busy and fast-paced lifestyles. Unfortunately, many resort to fast food, as they are daunted by the challenges of both knowing what their nutritional needs are and finding the appropriate food combinations to meet those needs. Malnutrition and obesity are among the many undesirable consequences of a fast/junk food diet.
More recently, antioxidants have received considerable attention and the role of antioxidants on health and disease prevention has been the subject of research. Antioxidants are believed to provide a variety of health benefits by reducing oxidative reactions and free radical formation in the body. Oxidative reactions have been linked to a number of disease states. It is a common misconception, however, that all oxidative reactions in the body are harmful.
Certain oxidative reactions, such as reduction-oxidation (“redox”) reactions and signaling, are critical for sustaining life. Biological energy is frequently stored and released by means of redox reactions. Cellular respiration, for example, involves the oxidation of glucose to carbon dioxide and the reduction of oxygen to water. The process of cell respiration also depends heavily on the oxidation of NADH to NAD+. Thus, a paradox in metabolism is that while the vast majority of complex life on Earth requires oxygen for its existence, oxygen is a highly reactive molecule that is capable of damaging living organisms by producing reactive oxygen species.
Thus, an effective antioxidant system does not remove oxidants entirely, but instead keeps them at an optimum level. The relative importance and interactions between different antioxidants and between antioxidants and other compounds are very complex. The action of one antioxidant may depend on the proper function of other antioxidants, enzymes, and/or compounds. Also, the amount of protection provided by any one antioxidant will also depend on its concentration, its reactivity towards the particular reactive oxygen species being considered, and the status of the antioxidants with which it interacts. Moreover, consumption of excessive amounts of certain antioxidants has been found to be harmful to the body.
Thus, it is the complex mixture of antioxidants and other substances that provides the beneficial effects on the body. This is confirmed by studies showing the use of antioxidant vitamins alone as having no reduction in either the risk of developing heart disease or the rate of progression of existing disease. Indeed, a healthy body, through a proper nutrition, is usually able to maintain a complex network of antioxidants, enzymes and other compounds and biological components that work together to prevent damaging oxidative reactions, while at the same time allowing for the oxidative reactions which are necessary to sustain life. The proper nutrition required to sustain such a complex network, however, requires knowledge as to the body's precise nutritional requirements and the amount and combination of foods capable of fulfilling those requirements.
What is needed, therefore, is a composition which is capable of providing the nutrients needed to provide and support an effective antioxidant system in the body.